A COLLECTION  OF  AMPHIBIANS  AND  REPTILES 
FROM  GOGEBIC  COUNTY,  MICHIGAN 


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BY  JAN  2 0 29jg 


ARTHUR  T.  EVANS 

Of  the  University  of  Colorado,  Boulder 


No.  2109. — From  the  Proceedings  of  the  United  States  National  Museum, 

tt  1 An  o r-t  o r a 


Vol.  49,  pages  351-354 
Published  July  26,  1915 


Washington 

Government  Printing  Office 

1915 


!017  with  funding  from 
University  ofpinois  Urbana-Champaign  Alternates 


# 


https://archive.org/details/collectionofamphOOevan 


A COLLECTION  OF  AMPHIBIANS  AND  REPTILES 
FROM  GOGEBIC  COUNTY,  MICHIGAN 


MWVEKStTY  Of  ILLINOIS  UBWW> 

JAN  2 o 2916 

BY 

ARTHUR  T.  EVANS 

Of  the  University  of  Colorado,  Boulder 


No.  2109. — From  the  Proceedings  of  the  United  States  National  Museum, 
Vol.  49,  pages  351-354 

Published  July  26,  1915 


Washington 

Government  Printing  Office 
1915 


v9 

A COLLECTION  OF  AMPHIBIANS  AND  REPTILES  FROM 
GOGEBIC  COUNTY,  MICHIGAN. 



. 

By  Arthur  T.  Evans, 

Of  the  University  of  Colorado , Boulder. 

cv£  

Records  from  Gogebic  County  are  included  in  but  few  of  the  reports 
on  the  herpetology  of  northern  Michigan  and  in  all  these  reports 
refer  to  a single  species,  ThamnopJiis  sirtalis  (Linnaeus).1  Gogebic 
County  is  situated  at  the  extreme  western  end  of  the  Upper  Peninsula 
of  Michigan.  The  county  lies  approximately  between  the  forty-first 
and  forty-second  degrees  north  latitude  and  between  the  eighty- 
eighth  and  ninetieth  degrees  west  longitude.  The  topography  of 
the  county  is  more  or  less  broken,  there  being  many  rocky  hills. 
Much  of  the  higher  ground  is  covered  by  heavy  hardwood  forests 
some  of  which,  however,  have  been  cut  over.  In  contrast  to  these 
habitats  there  are  many  dense  arbor-vitsB  swamps  and  occasionally 
small  tracts  of  cleared  farm  land.  In  many  places  forest  fires  have 
laid  waste  large  areas.  Rivers,  lakes,  and  large  ponds  are  numerous. 
The  climatic  conditions  of  the  county  undoubtedly  have  a very  decided 
effect  upon  the  fauna.  The  winters  are  long  and  severe,  usually  lasting 
from  October  until  May,  during  which  time  from  one  to  several  feet  of 
snow  fall  and  the  temperature  often  reaches  forty  degrees  below  zero 
Fahrenheit.  In  1913  the  first  snow  of  six  inches  fell  on  September  21 . 
In  the  spring  the  snow  does  not  disappear  usually  until  the  latter 
part  of  April,  and  during  the  spring  of  1914  about  three  inches  of 
snow  fell  on  May  12.  With  the  coming  of  warm  weather  lowlands 
for  some  distance  on  either  side  of  the  streams  are  overflowed.  This 
condition  continues  for  some  time  after  all  of  the  snow  has  disappeared 
from  the  woods.  Summer  weather  does  not  usually  begin  before  May. 
The  summers  are  usually  short  and  the  temperature  rarely  exceeds 
ninety  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  evenings  are  cool  and  frost  may  be 
expected  any  time  after  the  first  of  August. 

During  the  years  of  1913  and  1914  while  the  writer  was  a resident 
of  the  county  an  effort  was  made  to  collect  representatives  of  all  of  the 
species  of  amphibians  and  reptiles  found  there.  The  species  taken 
are  fisted  below.  The  collections  were  made  in  the  vicinity  of  Wake- 
field, which  is  centrally  located  in  the  county.  In  all  eleven  species 
were  taken,  ten  of  these  being  recorded  from  Gogebic  County  for  the 
first  time  and  one  being  an  addition  to  the  fauna  of  the  Northern 
Peninsula  of  Michigan. 

1 Ruthven,  A.  G.,  Herpetology  of  Michigan,  Mich.  Geol.  and  Biol.  Surv.,  1912;  and  Ruthven,  A.  G. 
Bull. 61,  U.  S.  National  Museum,  1908. 


Proceedings  U.  S.  National  Museum,  Vol.  49— No.  2109. 


351 


352 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


VOL.  49. 


AMPHIBIA. 

CAUDATA. 

1..PLETHODON  ERYTHRONOTUS  (Green). 

The  red-backed  salamanders  were  found  to  be  common  in  decayed 
tree  trunks  in  the  woods.  Their  preference  seemed  to  be  for  pine 
logs,  although  they  were  found  in  the  decayed  trunks  of  other  trees  as 
well  as  under  stones  and  rubbish.  One  individual  was  taken  with  a 
partly  regenerated  tail. 

12  specimens,  56-98  mm.,  September  26,  1913,  U.S.N.M.,  No. 
51943-51954. 


2.  AMBYSTOMA  JEFFERSONIANUM  (Green). 

Common  in  the  lowlands  near  small  streams,  under  logs. 

6 specimens,  54-65  mm.,  September  26,  1913,  Nos.  51937-51942. 

SALIENTIA. 

3.  HYLA  PICKERINGII  Holbrook. 

Although  the  species  is  common  in  the  region,  judging  from  the 
numbers  of  individuals  seen  and  the  calls  heard,  specimens  were 
difficult  to  obtain.  Several  specimens  were  taken  in  swampy  places 
near  Sunday  Lake. 

1 specimen,  17  mm.,  September  6,  1913,  No.  51923. 

2 specimens,  26  and  28  mm.,  May  9,  1914,  Nos.  51924-51925. 

4.  HYLA  VERSICOLOR  LeConte. 

A specimen  of  this  species  was  captured  on  June  6, 1914,  but  escaped 
before  it  could  be  preserved. 

5.  RANA  PIPIENS  Schreber. 

This  species  was  found  to  be  very  abundant  about  ditches  and  in 
swampy  places.  It  is  the  first  of  the  amphibians  to  appear  in  the 
spring,  specimens  being  taken  about  the  middle  of  April.  Eggs  of 
this  species  were  found  on  April  19,  1914,  and  small  tadpoles  of 
this  species  were  seen  the  latter  part  of  the  month. 

4 specimens,  40-85  mm.,  September  6,  1913,  Nos.  51927-51930. 

6.  RANA  CLAMITANS  Latreille. 

This  species  was  rather  uncommon,  although  not  rare.  Several 
specimens  were  taken  from  an  old  open  well  in  a swamp  in  the  fall, 
while  others  were  captured  in  the  spring. 

4 specimens,  40-55  mm.,  September  6,  1913,  Nos.  51933-51936. 


no.  2109. 


AM  P 'H  IB  IANS  AND  REPTILES  FROM  MICHIGAN — EVANS.  35  3 


■ 7.  RANA  CANTABRIGENSIS  Baird. 

This  species  is  common  in  pools  adjoining  wooded  areas.  They 
were  also  seen  in  large  numbers  along  the  railroad  right  of  way  in 
the  springtime.  The  adults  of  this  species  are  easily  distinguished 
while  floating  at  full  length  upon  the  surface  of  the  water. 

8.  RANA  CATESBEIANA  Shaw. 

Specimens  of  the  bullfrog  were  taken  in  company  with  Rana 
clamitans  from  an  old  open  well  in  a swamp.  The  characteristic 
call  of  this  species  was  heard  during  the  spring  of  1913.  From  the 
few  specimens  taken  and  the  absence  of  previous  records  from  the 
Northern  Peninsula  the  bullfrog  is  probably  a rare  species  in  Gogebic 
County. 

2 specimens,  70  and  100  mm.,  September  6, 1913,  Nos.  51931-51932. 

9.  BUFO  AMERICANUS  Le  Conte. 

This  toad  is  common  in  Gogebic  County,  and  many  specimens 
were  seen  along  the  roads  and  in  gardens  from  April  to  October. 

1 specimen,  70  mm.,  September  2,  1913,  No.  51926. 

REPTILIA. 

SERPENTES. 

10.  THAMNOPHIS  SIRTALIS  (Linnaeus). 

This  garter  snake  is  very  common  in  semiaquatic  habitats,  and 
several  specimens  were  captured.  Individuals  of  this  species  were 
seen  in  the  spring  of  1914  as  early  as  May  20. 

3 specimens,  September,  1913,  Nos.  51918-51920. 

11.  STORERIA  OCCIPITOMACULATA  (Storer). 

The  red-bellied  snake  was  found  a common  species  in  Gogebic 
County.  Of  three  specimens  taken,  one  was  captured  under  a log 
and  the  others  were  taken  in  the  open  field. 

1 specimen,  270  mm.,  September  27,  1913,  No.  51922. 

1 specimen,  230  mm.,  May  9,  1914,  No.  51921. 

TESTUDINATA. 

12.  CHRYSEMYS  BELLII  (Gray). 

Descriptions  were  given  the  writer  of  turtles  from  ponds  near 
Wakefield,  which  make  the  presence  of  painted  turtles  in  Gogebic 
County  certain.  Since  O.  bellii  is  very  closely  related  to  C.  cinerea 
(Bonnaterre),  a species  common  in  the  Southern  Peninsula,  the 
species  found  in  Gogebic  County  was  not  determined.  It  is  listed 
here  as  0.  bellii  since  that  species  has  been  recorded  from  the  adjoin- 
ing county  on  the  north,  Ontonogan,  by  Ruthven.1 

1 Ruthven,  A.  G.,  Herpetology  of  Michigan,  Mich.  Geol.  and  Biol.  Surv.,  p.  144, 1912. 

81022°— Proc.N.M.vol.49— 15 23 


354 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  NATIONAL  MUSEUM. 


vol.  49. 


Eighteen  species  of  amphibians  and  twenty-six  of  reptiles  are 
recorded  from  the  entire  State  of  Michigan.1  Of  this  number  13  of 
the  amphibians  and  6 of  the  reptiles  have  been  found  in  the  North- 
ern Peninsula  of  Michigan,  and  one  species  of  amphibian,  Rana  catesbe- 
iana,  is  added  to  the  fauna  of  the  Northern  Peninsula  by  the  present 
collection.  The  four  species  of  amphibians  found  in  the  Southern 
Peninsula  thus  far  not  reported  from  the  Northern  Peninsula  are 
Arnby stoma  tigrinum  Green,  Nedurus  maculosus  Rafinesque,  Arnby - 
stoma  maculatum  (Shaw),  and  Acris  gryllus  LeConte.  The  reptiles 
are  represented  by  fewer  species  in  the  Northern  Peninsula  than  in 
the  Southern,  but  five  of  the  twenty-six  species  reported  from  the 
entire  State  having  been  recorded  from  the  Northern.  The  relation 
of  the  amphibian  and  reptile  fauna  of  Gogebic  County  to  that  of  the 
entire  Northern  Peninsula  may  be  seen  in  the  following  table. 


Species  of  amphibians  and  reptiles  known  from  the  Northern  Peninsula 


Necturus  maculosus  Rafinesque. 
Arnby  stoma  jeffersonianum  (Green).1 
Hemidactylium  scutatum  (Schlegel). 
Plethodon  erythronotus  (Green).2 
Diemictylus  viridescens  Rafinesque. 
Bufo  americanus  LeConte.2 
Hyla  pickeringii  Holbrook.2 
Hyla  versicolor  LeConte.2 
Rana  pipiens  Schreber.2 
Rana  clamitans  Latreille.2 


of  Michigan, 

Rana  cantabrigensis  Baird.2 
Rana  catesbeiana  Shaw.2 
Rana  septentrionalis  Baird. 

Chorophilus  nigritum  LeConte. 

Storeria  occipitomaculata  (Storer).2 
Liopeltis  vernalis  (DeKay). 

Thamnophis  sirtalis  (Linnaeus).2 
Chelydra  serpentina  (Linnaeus). 

? Chrysemys  bellii  (Gray) 2 


The  writer  wishes  to  thank  Dr.  Max  M.  Ellis  for  aid  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  the  account. 


» Ruthven,  A.  G.,  Herpetology  of  Michigan,  Mich.  Geol.  and  Biol.  Surv.,  1912. 

2 Recorded  from  Gogebic  County. 


